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5 things to do when you join a new team - The Performance Room
Be prepared
Having applied for the job, you probably know a good amount about the business anyway, but it often helps to do some more homework.
Find out about the history, philosophy, and values that have built the company you’re now part of.
100 SAVES
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Avoid coming in with a pre-conceived plan
Chances are you’re being hired to fill a void and address current challenges that have been highlighted to you.
Do not make the mistake of coming to the table with a pre-determined plan based on these challenges. Take the time to learn the challenges and the extent of them for yourself. Encourage your team to be completely open with you.
Become a sponge
Before you can formulate the correct course of action, you’ll need to learn all aspects of the business quickly.
Sit in on as many calls and meetings as you can, and don’t be shy about doing so. Make sure that the team understands that you’re doing it for learning purposes only, so your actions aren’t misconstrued as micromanaging.
Notice patterns first
Give yourself time to notice patterns, and ensure that the changes you make address real problems and not one-off happenings.
Making too many changes too quickly, especially when it comes to making cuts, may scare the strong players away and lead your team to be guarded with you. Ensure that key stakeholders who brought you onboard are aware of your approach.
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Hire the right people
Design your hiring process with remote candidates in mind. Look for 3 main things:
- A strong skill set relevant to their jobs: you need to feel confident that they can complete basic job tasks independently.
- A candidate with an affinity for remote work.
- Hire candidates who share your company’s values: they’ll fit in faster if they share your cultural code.
Put extra effort into onboarding
Remote workers won’t have the opportunity to be involved in spontaneous conversations or team lunches, but there are other things you can do to help them settle:
- provide info with new job critical stuff: team member introductions (personal bios, photos, advice for new employees), HR training links, task checklists, long-term goals, and more.
- assign mentors to new hires, who schedule regular video check-ins, make themselves available on Slack and make new employees feel welcome.
Default working setups
Remote workers need a dedicated, quiet space to do their work, so it’s important to set some guidelines:
- encourage workers to join coworking spaces;
- encourage workers to set a dedicated insolated space at home for work, with suitable furniture;
- fast reliable internet access;
They can still work from a coffee shop every once in a while, but they need a good default setup.
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Make Some Space
Give yourself periods for resting and thinking so you’re not overwhelmed by the constant challenge and lose motivation. By taking breaks, you’ll be better able to perform and come up with solutions to challenges.
Learn From Losses
While overcoming your limitations, you’ll likely experience failure and you should scour those for lessons.
Use a Little Healthy Imitation
It can be beneficial to find a role model and engage in some healthy imitation. Done well, it can give you some confidence.
You shouldn’t copy everything about the person. But notice how they act and try mimicking their successful habits until you can adapt them to your own style.